Welsh Cakes Recipe - easy to follow recipe | The Worktop (2024)

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Make these Welsh Cakes with an easy to follow recipe. Think of a mini pancake or flat circular scone, packed with spices and sultanas/raisins, and dusted with caster sugar. You'll love these Welsh Breakfast Cakes.

Welsh Cakes Recipe - easy to follow recipe | The Worktop (1)

One of the best parts of living in the London is the sheer number of places that we can go for high tea. It's such a fun British tradition. But it doesn't really start until about 2 PM, andsometimes I just cannot wait until the afternoon.

I first had these Welsh Cakes served ona three tier cake stand during high tea. Since then, I've discovered that I love them during the mornings for breakfast.

Welsh Cakes Recipe - easy to follow recipe | The Worktop (2)

I like to think of these Welsh Breakfast Cakes as finger food pancakes in form. But even better -- with the rich butteriness that normally comes with a scone.

Welsh Cakes have the best attributes of both a pancake and a scone

They look adorable, and can be picked up with one hand and eaten in three dainty bites. For a special brunch, we love these Welsh Breakfast Cakes.

Welsh Cakes Recipe - easy to follow recipe | The Worktop (3)

Griddle Welsh Cake History

But if you aren't familiar with griddle Welsh Cakes, you may wonder what exactly makes a Welsh Cake a Welsh Cake. How is a Welsh Cake different from a pancake, and what is the best way to eat a Welsh Cake?

Welsh Cakes originated in Wales in the late 1800's and are also known as bakestones or griddle scones because they are made on a griddle.

Think of a mini pancake or flat circular scone withsultanas/raisins, and dusted with caster sugar.

Indulge at breakfast with this Welsh Cake recipe

Unlike a pancake though, Welsh Breakfast Cakes are buttery and a bit brittlein texture. You should be able to break them in half with the slightest pressure, so you can pick up and eat these with your hands.

Welsh Cakes Recipe - easy to follow recipe | The Worktop (4)

These little griddle Welsh Cakes can be enjoyedplain by themselves, unlike a British scone, which is usually paired with a jam or clotted cream.

Unlike a pancake, these Welsh Breakfast Cakes need no additional maple syrup or topping. Each bite should be filled with just enough sultanas, sweetness and spices.

These Welsh Breakfast Cakes are delicious served on their own with no additional toppings

That being said, there is no hard rule how to eat Welsh Breakfast Cakes. You definitely can eat them with some kind of spread if you prefer.

A thin spread of butter does wonder for these griddle Welsh Cakes. If you have a sweet tooth, you can dip them in maple syrup to give them a more traditional breakfast taste.

Welsh Cakes Recipe - easy to follow recipe | The Worktop (5)

If you're like me and too impatient to wait until the afternoon for high tea, don't be shy and enjoy theselittle Welsh Breakfast Cakes with your morning cup of tea or coffee. Go ahead, treat yourself!

Welsh Breakfast Cakes are perfect with a cup of coffee

And if this post hasn't convinced you to make these griddle Welsh Cakes, here are 18 Reasons Why Welsh Cakes are Literally The Best Food in The Whole Entire World by BuzzFeed.

Welsh Cakes Recipe - easy to follow recipe | The Worktop (6)

Welsh Cakes Recipe - easy to follow recipe | The Worktop (7)

Griddle Welsh Cakes

4.60 from 27 votes

Print Recipe Save Recipe

Serves: 12 welsh cakes

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 20 minutes mins

Total: 30 minutes mins

Make these Welsh Cakes with an easy to follow recipe. Think of a mini pancake or flat circular scone, packed with spices and sultanas/raisins, and dusted with caster sugar. You'll love these Welsh Breakfast Cakes.

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup caster sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon mixed spice
  • 1 pinch salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter - chilled and cubed
  • ¼ cup currants
  • 1 medium egg
  • 2 tablespoons whole milk (plus extra, as needed)
  • caster sugar (for sprinkling on top)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, mixed spice and salt. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender. You can also use your fingers to rub the butter in, until you get a fine bread crumb consistency. Be careful not to rub the butter too much and melt it. Toss in the currants.

  • In a small bowl, beat the egg and milk together.

  • Using a fork, mix the egg mixture into the flour mixture, until just mixed. Use your hands to finish mixing the dough together. It should be short, so don't over mix. The dough should be wet, but not too sticky to handle. Add in more milk as needed.

  • Heat a cast-iron skillet on medium to medium-low heat with a little bit of oil.

  • Pour the dough out onto a lightly floured silicon mat. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out until about 1-cm thick. Using a 7-cm diameter cookie cutter, cut out as many rounds as you can. Combine the remaining dough together, and roll it out again until about 1-cm thick. Cut out as many rounds as you can. Repeat as necessary, but note that with each successive rolling and cutting, the pastry may get over mixed.

  • Once the cast-iron skillet is ready, cook each side of the welsh cakes for 4 minutes. Adjust the heat as needed so that the welsh cake becomes a golden brown with 4 minutes on each side (I switched my induction hob between heat levels 4/9 and 5/9).

  • Transfer to a cooling rack and sprinkle them with caster sugar.

Course: Breads and Muffins, Pancakes and Waffles

Cuisine: British

Keyword: Welsh Breakfast Cakes

Special Diet: Vegetarian

Author: The Worktop

Cal : 156kcal

Note: Nutrition information is a rough estimate.

Love this?I would appreciate a star review! Snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram using #theworktop and tagging me @theworktop.

Made these Welsh Breakfast Cakes? Pair it with this easy blueberry jam with chia seeds!

« Chorizo and Chickpea Stew with Baked Eggs

Courgette and Pancetta Arancini »

About Tina Jui

A breakfast lover and food blogger. Tina develops everyday breakfast recipes on The Worktop, and writes about all things related to breakfast and brunch. Read more about Tina Jui or drop an email to say hi.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Amira says

    Welsh Cakes Recipe - easy to follow recipe | The Worktop (9)
    They are really good frozen, then put them in a moderate oven for about 5 to10 mins. They are amazing and as good as when you just make them.

    Reply

  2. Amira says

    Welsh Cakes Recipe - easy to follow recipe | The Worktop (10)
    Love them, have made them many times. Great to make in a hurry.
    I use nutmeg, they are beautiful. Thanks so much for the recipe. I'll always find time to make these.

    Reply

  3. Kam says

    Hi what do you think would be a good substitute for the egg in this recipe? I have made your eggless banana bread and it was the best!
    Thanks

    Reply

    • Tina Jui says

      Hi - I haven't tried to make this without egg before so I'm probably not too helpful. But perhaps you could try to substitute the egg with a "flax egg"? It might take some trials, but I would think something along the lines of using 1 tbs ground flax seed and 2 tbs water.

      Reply

  4. mary says

    what is "mixed spice" anyway?

    Reply

    • Tina Jui says

      It's a blend of spices that's commonly used in British baked goods - here it is

      Reply

    • Diana says

      The receipe didn't give amounts, when I looked for it . It's cinnamon coriander, caraway and nutmeg. More cinnamon and less of everything else. I hope this helps.

      Reply

  5. Vanessa says

    Thanks for sharing! Do they keep long?

    Reply

  6. Suzanne says

    These look so good! What a fun way to have something a little different for tea time!

    Reply

    • Helen smith says

      I am in USA my daughter always asks me to make her some welsh cakes but I cannot find the spices Thankyou

      Reply

      • Rizza says

        Welsh Cakes Recipe - easy to follow recipe | The Worktop (11)
        You can make your own mixed spice. Google it and you probably have all the ing. available. v

        Reply

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Welsh Cakes Recipe - easy to follow recipe | The Worktop (2024)

FAQs

Why do my Welsh Cakes fall apart? ›

If there are loads of crumbly bits its probably too dry. You want to be aiming for a nice soft dough that stays together but isn't sticky and messy!

What pan is best for Welsh Cakes? ›

This Welsh cakes recipe, which follows a classic recipe and is cooked on a griddle, is hard to beat. Whip up a batch for St. David's Day – they are incredibly easy to make and if you don't have a traditional griddle, then a heavy cast iron frying pan can be used instead.

What do Welsh people call Welsh Cakes? ›

Welsh cakes (Welsh: picau ar y maen, pice bach, cacennau cri or teisennau gradell), also bakestones or pics, are a traditional sweet bread in Wales. They have been popular since the late 19th century with the addition of fat, sugar and dried fruit to a longer standing recipe for flat-bread baked on a griddle.

What is the story behind Welsh Cakes? ›

Welsh Cakes have been tea-time favourites in most parts of Wales since the second half of the nineteenth century. They were usually cooked on a bakestone and the Welsh names given to these cakes were usually based on the different regional Welsh name for the bakestone.

Why do my Welsh Cakes go hard? ›

After you have flipped them, you want to look for that gooey line in the middle of each Welsh cake. If you don't have this and cook them for too long on either side, they're going to be rock hard the next day.

What do you eat with Welsh cakes? ›

Cook the Welsh cakes in batches, for about 3 mins each side, until golden brown, crisp and cooked through. Delicious served warm with butter and jam, or simply sprinkled with caster sugar.

What are Welsh cakes called in England? ›

They were usually called Pica ar y Maen in south Carmarthenshire, West Glamorgan and South Glamorgan. In English, they would be called 'bakestone cakes' or simply 'bakestones'.

Are Welsh cakes served hot or cold? ›

Welsh cakes can be eaten hot or cold, though the vast majority of Welsh people will tell you how to eat Welsh cakes is eating them while they're still warm. You can heat them up easily in a pan, toaster oven, standard oven, or even your microwave.

What is a Welsh girl called? ›

Welsh·​wom·​an ˈwelsh-ˌwu̇-mən. ˈwelch- : a woman who is a native or inhabitant of Wales.

What do you call a Welsh lady? ›

Welshwoman in British English

(ˈwɛlʃwʊmən ) nounWord forms: plural Welshwomen. a woman who is a native or inhabitant of Wales.

What is granny grey in Welsh? ›

Researchers have been carrying out a survey of the regional variations in names for the garden-dwelling creature. And they have already recorded 250 different names. Granny grey, cheesy bob and chucky pig are among some of the titles it is given. In Welsh it is known as a mochyn coed, which means wood pig.

What is a fun fact about Welsh cakes? ›

The Welsh Cakes were originally called "picau ar y maen" or "cakes on the stone." They are one of the most popular Welsh treats and the favorite food of so many in Wales. In fact, we asked over 25 people what their favorite Welsh recipe was and half of them answered Welsh Cakes.

Can Muslims eat Welsh cakes? ›

For the halal-conscious traveller

Be sure to try the traditional Welsh cakes. A cross between a cookie, scone and pancake, they are authentic handmade and griddled treats.

What is the best way to eat a Welsh cake? ›

Cakes may be eaten straight from the package however most people prefer them warmed. Warming takes 8-10 seconds for one cake in a 1500W microwave, 10-12 seconds for a whole pack. If heating in an oven, 2-3 mins @ 275 will usually do.

How do you keep a cake from falling apart? ›

Overbeating can add too much additional air and/or large air bubbles which the cake can't support, causing it to collapse in the oven. Beat your butter and sugar gradually at medium to medium-high speed. Don't beat too aggressively; creaming can't be rushed, as the air needs to be incorporated gradually.

How do you keep a cake from crumbling? ›

Chill the cakes in the freezer for an hour or so before assembling and decorating. Cold cakes are BY FAR easier to work with, and, therefore, way less scary, since they are much more solid and much less likely to fall apart.

Why is my cake crumbly and falling apart? ›

Too much sugar can also cause cakes to crumble, as too much sugar makes cakes brittle. Think of boiled sweets or sugar lollies; the sugar is really hard! If you use too much in your cake, the crystals will clump together and harden inside your cake instead of staying as small crystals throughout it.

Why is my cake not holding together? ›

Most common reason is when the oven door is opened too soon and the cake hasn't set up and baked properly. The mixture could be too soft due to not enough ingredients or if there is too much liquid added. Using too much raising agents can make the cake rise too much too quickly and it implodes on itself.

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